Flawed Thorns
by Cairnsy
Summary: As Valentines Day approaches, two of the Chosen prepare to reveal their feelings to each other. But when your advisors in love are Matt and Tai, things are never going to go quite as smoothly as you might have liked. Daiken, eventual Taito.
1. Default Chapter

**Flawed Thorns.**

_Summary:_ As Valentines Day approaches, two of the Chosen prepare to reveal their feelings to each other. But when your advisors in love are Matt and Tai, then things are never going to go quite as smoothly as you might have liked. Daiken, eventual Taito. 

_Author's notes:_ Yes, this is in both the angst and the comedy section. It starts off light but does get darker in later chapters. Or whenever Ken feels the need to turn angsty. It's in response to a V. day challenge, in which a pairing exchange gifts - that obviously happens a few chapters down the line ^_^. I've never been good at comedy, so consider yourself warned. If you haven't caught on quite yet that this is yaoi, then I suggest re-reading the summary. 

Reviews will be welcomed warmly ^_^ 

**Flawed Thorns, part one.**

Tai is one of those people who are just brilliant to have as a friend. Whenever I need help with soccer, I go to Tai. Whenever I'm feeling down about my place amongst the other digi-destined or just generally angsty about the responsibilities of leadership, Tai's number is on speed dial. Right next to Ken's, in fact. School, sports, digimon – Tai always seems to know the answers to everything. He's pretty cool like that. 

So it shouldn't have surprised anyone who I turned to when it was icky, romance type problems that plagued my mind. 

"Five blocks north, second side street on the right, twenty third floor. Surely you can remember the correct flat number?" 

That's Matt for you, always a bundle of laughs. 

"Come on Matt, I promise not to take up too much of your time. Besides, this is the kind of thing that Tai would just so completely suck at. And I don't go to him about *everything*, you know." 

Only Matt could manage to look seriously put out even with flour in his hair and a frilly pink apron tied neatly around his neck. Yep, Matt had definitely been the right person to come to. 

"Five minutes, Daisuke. Not a second more. And if you even attempt to stick your hand in the oven before my cake is done, you can say goodbye to those precious goggles of yours." 

And so that was how I came to be sitting cross legged in the middle of Matt's kitchen floor, mournfully gazing up at the goggles that had been placed on top of a cupboard three minutes into my allotted 'time' with Matt Ishida, god to all those with hormones and goggle stealer. At least he'd found a couple of cookies for me to nibble on while he pranced around the kitchen, muttering darkly about how this was the third time this week he'd tried to cook this damned cake, and yet again it had been ruined by a goggled freak. 

Quite frankly, I think it was ruined more from the fact he'd tried to cook the thing three times. Even Tai's mother would start fresh, instead of simply saving the burnt/flat/atomically decomposed piece of 'food' and attempting to rectify it by sticking it back in the oven later in the week. But Matt has always been a little strange. 

"I could draw you a map, if you like." Matt interrupts what I had thought to be a scintillating conversation about the latest scores in the African soccer league. "I know you're not aware of this, but Tai actually happens to be a big soccer fan. As is, strangely enough, that best friend of yours. I'm sure Ken would just love to hear about the goal that the, the _Daffmiester_ made." 

"It's Dioufmeister." I'm truly hurt that Matt hasn't been listening – how can anyone NOT want to hear about Diouf, the fabulous Senegal striker? "Besides. I can't talk to Ken about this." And after I made sure his biscuits tasted nice for him, as well. 

"Dai, he's your best friend. You can talk to him about anything. Even soccer. Especially soccer. And if he, God forbid, doesn't want to hear about Doof, then I do have Tai's number. In fact, why don't I ring him for you now?" Through narrow eyes, I watch Matt almost desperately make for the lounge. I'm starting to get the feeling that Matt doesn't quite appreciate my company. 

"I'm gay." Well, **that** didn't come out quite how I'd planned. Matt freezes in his tracks, before turning on his heels and studying me with quiet eyes. I've always hated the way he does that, silently weighing a person up simply through his gaze, somehow managing to know a hell of a lot more than he should with just that one, drawn out glance. 

Sometimes, I forget he's only a few of years older than me. 

He doesn't throw me out, which I suppose is a good thing – by my calculations, I've been here for at least six and a half minutes now, and Matt is nothing if not punctual. Well, irritatingly perfect, perhaps, but I'm not really in a position to debate the finer points of his 'faults' about now. I need his help too much. 

"Did you realise that before or after you fell in love with Ken?" And ok, anyone with half a brain cell could of connected the rather obvious dots I'd left there, but I still gape incredulously up at him. With a sigh, Matt drops himself down beside me, crossing his legs in an unintended reflection of my own position. "You and Ken have been through a lot, Daisuke. And I know you care deeply for each other. But are you sure you're not mistaking your own feelings for a friend as something more? It's easy enough to do." 

"Who said it was Ken I was interested in?" Even I'm willing to admit it's a fairly feeble response, and Matt simply raises an eyebrow in reply. 

"If it *is* Ken," there isn't even a flicker of doubt in Matt's voice. "Then you need to make sure any possible move you make is worth it, Daisuke. And I mean, really worth it. Because if you lose him because you couldn't control your hormones, then you'll never forgive yourself. Worse, he might never forgive you." 

And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is why most people don't have a heart-to-heart with Matt Ishida without a stiff drink and a bottle of anti-depressants near by. In all honesty though, that was why I had sought him out in the first place. It's not courage I lack this time, I don't fear approaching Ken or making a fool out of myself, I do that on a frequent enough basis that I think I've developed immunity. Tai would tell me to go for it, to throw myself at Ken, confess all and simply deal if things went wrong. Basically, he'd tell me things I've told myself hundreds of times. 

So courage isn't the problem. It's the fact that he's the best friend I've ever had, that is. And friendship is Matt's deal, his area of expertise. 

Besides. I can't imagine sitting with Tai on his kitchen floor spilling my guts about something so mushy with a plate of chocolate chip cookies between us. 

"He's too important to lose, Matt." He looks surprised at my answer, and for a minute I want to hit him for thinking that I'm shallow enough to not consider Ken's friendship the most important thing in the world. But then I remember the cookies, and the fact he really does make the best ones this side of … well … cookieville. These are good cookies, I tell you. Speaking of cookies … "And if I thought that he would hate me if I admitted my feelings, I wouldn't do it, ever," I conclude, chewing thoughtfully. Matt's expression has melted to one of indifference, and I've got no idea what he's thinking. Not that anyone ever seems to be able to do so, in the first place. He's very good at hiding his emotions, Matt. He'd make a pretty cool Borg, come to think of it. All it would take would be a bit or re-wiring of his guitar, perfecting that glare of his, a cat-suit … 

Yeah. I think Matt could pull of a damn good Borg. Jun would go nuts, if it wasn't for the fact it's way too late for that. 

"Ken won't hate you, Daisuke. Not unless you handle this *very* badly." I think Matt is beginning to realise why I came to him for advice, not Tai. "But even with the best intentions, if he doesn't return your feelings, then it will never be the same. You'll both pretend that everything is all right, continue on the façade of friendship, but it'll be different, Daisuke." 

Suddenly, I'm not quite so sure this is still about Ken and me. Matt's sympathetic smile has twisted slightly, and his eyes are clouded over, as though his mind is elsewhere. Or that he can't handle these heart-to-hearts himself, and has hit the anti-depressants a bit too hard. 

Since Matt would most likely kill me if I brought either suggestion up, I, rather difficultly, remain quiet. He snaps out of it rather quickly, which is good. That being momentarily high on anti-depressants obviously makes you hungry isn't quite so, as he snags the last biscuit, and doesn't even offer me half. 

Ken would have. And it always comes back to Ken. 

I can't imagine having it any other way. 

"Why do you think you're in love with Ken, Daisuke?" Matt finally asks, and it's a question I'm far more familiar with, having asked myself it a dozen times in the last hour alone. 

"Because he's Ken." It's the perfect answer, but I elaborate for Matt's sake, regardless. "He's the most caring and giving person I know, not to mention the most intelligent to boot. And yet, he never talks down to anyone or makes you feel bad about yourself, instead he has this strange way of making everything you say and do seem just as important and clever as everything he does." I shake my head, still in wonder over my best friend's ability to make *me* of all people feel like his equal. "At the same time, there is just so much he doesn't know, Matt, things that the rest of us all take for granted. Things like real friendship and family, being yourself and not giving a damn what the rest of the world thinks of you. They're all things I want to help him with." 

"He sounds-" 

"I'm not finished yet!" Man, how dare Matt interrupt my 'Ken is an imperfect god and how can I not worship him' speech?! "He has the most devilish sense of humour, although he's terrified to let it out. And when he smiles, truly smiles?" I'm sure I've got stars or something equally embarrassing shinning in my eyes about now, "It's then that you realise that there is nothing you wouldn't do to make sure he smiles again, even if you have to dedicate your whole life to achieving that one goal. Hell, you're about ready to invent a time travelling machine just so you can go back into the past and prevent all the horrible things that happened to stop him from smiling in the first place!" 

"A time machine?" The idea seems to amuse Matt more than anything, although he does turn serious a moment later. "I think that's the most romantic thing I've ever heard. Insane, yes. But no less romantic." 

"Yeah, well. It's not going well so far, Izzy says that none of the specs I've presented him with would get me to the other side of his room, let alone back in time." I'm completely oblivious to the look of stunned disbelief that takes over Matt's face. "But I'm working on it. Hey, maybe I could include the latest plans for it in a card, and give it to him for Valentines!" 

Well, I thought it was a good idea. Matt however looks to be choking on that last biscuit. Karma, baby. 

After waiting several minutes for Matt to calm down, and freak'n hell, karma can overdo it, sometimes, I wait for his advice. Matt, being perfect, is sure to perfect advice as a result. It makes sense, really. 

"You really love him, don't you?" 

"Yep." Why the heck does Matt still seem taken back by that? 

"And you don't want to ruin your friendship?" 

"Yep." You're doing a brilliant job with the recap, Matt. Now tell me what I'm supposed to do. 

"Then let it be, Daisuke. Chances are, Ken's not ready for a relationship as it is. You're his crutch, even if you approach this delicately, he might let himself be talked into a relationship simply because he doesn't want to lose *you*." 

Maybe Tai would have been the better person to have gone to, after all. Of course, Ken couldn't possibly want to be in a relationship with me because he actually wanted to. That's obviously too revolutionary an idea for Matt to wrap his blond head around. 

"Oh, fuck. Dai, I didn't mean it like that." So now he realises that he's just ripped my heart out, huh? True, he's looking almost hopelessly apologetic, but this is not something that can be easily forgiven. "If it's any consolation, Tai would have said the same thing." Can't see you anymore, Matt, you've practically buried yourself in that hole of yours. And I'm about ready to fill the rest of it up with cement. 

"And why exactly would Tai think that it would be stupid of me to try and have a 'normal' –" stress on the 'normal', as I'm not sure that Mr Doom and Gloom knows the meaning of the word, "- relationship with the person I care for the most in the world?" 

"Experience." 

Huh? 

Matt sighs then, that irritant sigh that most adults use when they're tired of dealing with someone who they deem too young to understand what they're going on about. Usually that particular sigh is enough to throw me into a full sulk, but I'm kinda feeling too young to understand what the hell Matt's going on about anyway. I have a feeling it's got to do with the twisted triangle (and Ken would so jump in now and point out that triangles compose of straight lines and therefore cannot be classified as twisted) that cropped up between Matt, Sora and Tai a couple of years ago, after which they all decided to be friends, because anything more than that was too complicated. Ken thinks that Matt and Tai came to that conclusion, anyway – that Sora wasn't worth ruining their friendship over. Must have sucked to have been Sora. 

Just like it sucks to be me. 

"Ken isn't Sora, Matt." That surprises him, although I'm not sure if it's because I've hit the mark or missed it so completely that the arrow's inbeded in some poor Eggmon's butt. "He's not as fragile as people seem to think he is, and I'd like to think I know him well enough to evaluate if he can handle being in a relationship with me, or, if he decides that I'm nowhere near as good looking and cool as I think I am, that he'd be able to deal with NOT dating me, as well." Matt's looking pretty confused, and I'm not sure even I understand quite what I'm trying to say. "Ok. Take two. Ken's cool. I'm cool. If he doesn't return my feelings, we'll both be cool." 

"Um, take three?" 

I'm starting to get the feeling that Matt doesn't date as much as the rumour mill suggests. Or that he's simply dense. Or, if that vaguely amused smile that is creeping onto his lips is a sign, that he's toying with me. 

"Listen, Daisuke. You're right, you know Ken better than anyone. And chances are he won't flip or accuse you of not valuing your friendship enough to keep your feelings to yourself and maintain status-quo." This would be a hell of a more convincing speech if Matt weren't frowning doubtfully throughout the whole thing. "But sometimes you don't know someone as well as you think you do." 

"Experience?" I echo the word he had spoken only moments before. I don't say 'lack of backbone?' or 'wimpiness?" even though they're more appropriate words, because Matt, bless his morbid, blond little heart, is really trying to help. That he's so giving the wrong advice doesn't matter. 

Nor does it mean that I'm not listening to every single word he says. 

"Experience," he replies with a grin, and I wonder if Tai's notion of romance has been as screwed up by the whole Sora thing as Matt's has. Not that I'm drawing imaginary conclusions by dumping this all on her doorstep, of course. It's just that Matt and Tai are too cool to have possibly done anything wrong. 

"Matt, I understand what you've been getting at." So that's a bit of a stretch. I understand some of it, which makes me rather proud. "But I feel like I have to try, even if it's so subtly that he never finds out I made a move on him in the first place. I guess I just need to know." 

If he makes just one quip about subtly not being my middle name … 

"I suppose." He's still not certain, damn it. And I need his help for this, because subtly is so *not* my middle name. 

Remind me to go throw myself off the nearest cliff, later. 

"I've never done something like this before, Matt. And it's too important to screw up." Come on, he must hear the not so silent plea, right? He might be blond but he's not deaf! 

"I'm hardly an expert when it comes to this kind of thing, Daisuke. Sora would be much better – you know, her being the holder of the crest of **love** and all." Yeah, yeah. I get the hint. "Hell, even T.K would probably be able to give you better advice." He says it with enough self-depreciation to catch my interest, because regardless of the different crests, Matt is supposed to be the guru when it comes to these things, how can he not be considering his sex god status? "And you do know that the whole Valentines Day thing is kinda … tacky?" 

Most people I know consider it romantic. But then, most people I know don't get flooded with gaudy cards and proclamations of love each year from total strangers, either. But because Matt is so close to being won over, I just nod charmingly, smiling as politely as one can with a canary in their mouth. Even though I'm sure he spots a few, stray feathers, he sighs again, although this is a good sigh, one that is full of resignation. 

"Thanks, Matt! I swear, you won't regret this!" 

A snort. 

"And by the way, his name is Diouf. Not Doof, you doofhead. Heh. Dioufhead." 

"I could still change my mind, Daisuke." 

Now would be a good time to shut up, I think. 

**End Part One**

In the next chapter, Ken seeks some advice of his own. From Tai. 

Yeah, he's pretty much screwed. 

Don't forget to review *grin* 


	2. Flawed Thorns, Chapter Two

Author's notes: This chapter was difficult to write, as I'm finding Ken humour very hard to do. As a result, there is more angst in this chapter than the previous one, and I'm sure the attempts at humour I DID make fell very flat. but hey, I tried ^_^. Thanks for the reviews, everyone! It always appriciated and really brightens up my day. 

**Flawed Thorns, chapter two.**

It's easy to be perfect. Being flawed is the difficult part. 

I had being perfect down pat, once. It's amazing how free it makes you, how wonderfully superficial. Perfect people have no depth or layers, they simply are. Of course, it robs you of emotions and feelings and all those other 'human' qualities that seem so over-rated to those who don't possess them. I certainly used to consider them over-rated. 

Sometimes, when those emotions and feelings become too much, I still do. It would just be so much easier to deal with everything if you could just turn them off and on at will … 

I'm still working on being flawed, I guess. I like to pretend that 'perfect' is a mould I could no longer fit, even if I tried to squeeze myself back into it. After all, it had only just been my size in the first place because of the Dark Spore. But really, what more would I have to do than simply stop existing? Say good-bye to Ken-chan, and welcome back … well, not Kaiser, because being perfect doesn't mean you can block out the past, something I know all too well. So, no. Not Kaiser. But the perfect Ichijouji everyone thought they knew sounds nice. It might mean having to cut down on the time I spent with my friends so I could get in all the study I would need to do to achieve the grades I did in the past, grades that came so easily to Kaiser but that I would have to work tirelessly now to achieve. And although I've discarded it, I still have that old Ichijouji mask around somewhere, hidden away in a dark corner. There are so many benefits of being _him_, the once perfect version of myself. 

Well. Until I remember what it was actually like, of course. Lonely. Terrifying. A feeling of utter worthlessness stained with the fear that someday you would lose it all and then all the honours and worship would be over. Because other than adoration and jealousy tinged with respect? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It's then that I realise that being perfect is merely an illusion, a nice one, but in the end nothing more than an empty promise presented to those who are desperately in need of escape. 

It's an illusion I lived too long. My greatest flaw, perhaps. 

Besides, being an imperfect Ken isn't that bad, not when you have friends willing to help you through all the rocky parts of re-introducing yourself to being human. And it's hardly as though I've become completely disjointed from some of the positives of my alluded perfection – I know I'm still intelligent, even though there are times when I feel horribly guilty for not being as blindingly so as I once was. A water-downed version of 'Ichijouji', perhaps. 

"Jesus, Ken! How the hell did you make that shot?!" 

A mostly water-downed version. A small smirk manages to find a place on my lips as Tai shakes his head in wonder. It *had* been a good shot, the ball spiralling impossibly to the right at the last minute, getting past a diving Tai who hadn't even come close in the end to stopping it thud into the back of the net. I've always been good at soccer, even before the Dark Spore. And during … that time … it was the one thing that made me ever feel sane, the small grasp on reality I allowed myself to maintain. To find out that everything I had was merely a product of the Dark Spore had hit me hard – how could it possibly not, being told that the talents that define you were never yours in the first place, instead were nothing more than a side effect? But it had been that thought of not being able to play soccer that had almost destroyed me. My one love, the one thing that seemed *me*. Gone, as though it had never existed in the first place. 

It would be a lie to say that the Dark Spore being turned 'off' hadn't robbed me of much of my soccer skills. But one thing I've learnt about being flawed is that you can grow and learn, there is nothing static or predetermined. As 'Ichijouji' I'd never had to train or attend practises, in all honesty, I hadn't had time to in the first place. I might not have had to work at being perfect, but working the interview scene takes a good chunk of your time, you know. 

But I was talking about how not being perfect made me a better soccer player. Easy. I had to work for it. Even though I had always loved soccer, it was almost in a mechanical sense. Get to the other end of the field, score. Simple, really. But there is so much more to soccer, especially when you pour your heart and soul into each game, as opposed to merely your mind. 

Daisuke taught me how to truly play soccer, although I do think he regrets it at times. For a couple of months there he was a better player than me, after all. Few people can say that. 

He's taught me so many things, Daisuke. I don't think I could handle learning to become flawed without him. I wouldn't have had the courage to go this alone. 

"Ken, man. Just ask the goalpost out, or something. You've been staring at it for the last five minutes with a lovey-dovey look on your face, and it's starting to get boring." 

Whoops. 

Tai says it playfully, but he looks slightly suspicious as well. Contrary to popular belief, Tai is far from stupid, and he's got to be wondering why I asked if he would like to play an impromptu game of soccer today. I'm still not very good at initiating things, especially if Daisuke isn't involved, and there was no way I could do this with my best friend here. Not to mention that Dai's presence would make the whole thing rather pointless. 

Tai almost looks like Daisuke in this weather, bushy brown hair tamed by the rain, plastered to the side of his head instead of defying gravity. It's not heavy rain, the kind that soaks you instantly and convinces you to take cover, but a more gentler kind that slowly saturates you layer at a time, letting you adjust gradually to the feeling of drowning in your own clothes to the point that by the time your soaked through to your skin and beyond, it doesn't really bother you. 

Or doesn't, until you look in a mirror. Since we don't have one handy, I think I'll refrain from letting Tai in on the fact he looks like a rat that has just emerged from a sewer. Tai can be incredibly vain at times. 

Daisuke, on the other hand, doesn't even know the meaning of the word. And while the others would most likely respond to that by throwing a dictionary at him, it's one of the aspects I just find so wonderful about him. 

"Ye-owch!" All thoughts of Daisuke are momentarily abandoned as something hard hits me on the forehead, and I tumble ungracefully to the ground. Well, if I wasn't wet already, I'm certainly drenched now. Rubbing my head pitifully, I glare up at Tai who at least has the grace to look apologetic, before glancing down at the soccer ball turned missile that was responsible for the growing bump I could feel under my hand. "And what exactly did I do to deserve that?" 

"Sorry, Ken." Now that he knows I'm not seriously injured he's grinning like a madman. "I did try and warn you, but you weren't exactly paying attention." He offers a hand, and I let him pull me up. "Care to explain why?" Suddenly, Tai is too close. Mere centimetres separate our faces, and I can see the casual concern shinning in brown eyes that are only a shade lighter than the ones I've found myself falling in love with. 

"Tai?" It comes out breathlessly, and I'm starting to wonder when I turned into Jun. 

"Yeah, Ken?" 

"Would you mind taking a couple of steps back?" He nods, and I'm starting to believe that the fact Tai always seems to look confused has less to do with his supposed lack of intelligent and more with the fact that most of his friends are certifiably nuts. But it does help, the small amount of space Tai puts between us, if only because it means that I can now think a tad bit clearer. 

"You've been distracted all day, Ken." Tai finally says, slightly hesitant. "I've got to say, I was a bit surprised when you asked me out today." 

See? He can function quite intelligently when there isn't someone messing with his head. He might not be the quickest of the digi-destined, but that doesn't mean everything gets past him. Just soccer balls. 

"To be honest Tai, I actually needed your help with something. An experiment." I'm on more secure ground, here – these are lines I practised all night in front of the mirror, after all. 

"Huh? An experiment? It doesn't involve needles or eating gross food, does it?" 

Oh, yeah. Tai had definitely been the right person to come to. 

"No, no – it's quite painless, I promise you. And I'll buy you an ice cream afterwards, if you like." The thought of food makes him suddenly eager, and I excuse myself for a moment so as to set everything up. Diving into my backpack, I quickly grab the two things I need: my clipboard and a pen. 

Scientific experiments are still something I love, even though I'm no longer the Kaiser. They remain the best way to evaluate a situation – or potential situation, and to study reactions. I had already written up my hypothesis and method, now was time to put it all into action. 

"Right. If you could come stand over here, Tai." First step on the clipboard is evaluation, with headings for 'before', 'during' and 'after'. I'd kept this deliberately simple, and any nervousness I was feeling started to fade. My clipboard is like a security blanket, the fact it is hard, wooden and not particularly comfortable to sleep on, aside. With it in hand, I know I'm in my element, and that I've got complete control of the situation. 

It's not quite as cool an accessory as a whip, but it has a similar enough effect for the clipboard and I to have a good working relationship. 

Tai's starting to get impatient, but there are some things that simply can't be rushed if one doesn't want to destabilise the subject and make the results null or contaminated. I do make note of his growing impatience under the 'before' heading however, along with the fact he seems rather clueless to what is going on and the slightly bamboozled look on his face. 

Now, for the difficult part. 

"Are you ready, Tai?" Tai's puzzled 'this had better be going somewhere other than your insanity' nod is all I need, and this time I'm the one who deliberately closes the gap between us. Slowly leaning in towards him, I mentally make note of the height difference between Tai and Daisuke, as well as the slight difference in stance. Tai's still looking confused, but then my eyes are drifting closed and my lips are gently pressed against his. He's got nice lips, soft and almost … delicate, if such a word is allowed to be used to describe Tai in the first place. It isn't a particularly long kiss, hardly a romantic or 'deep' one, yet it seems that Tai is too shocked to respond. I'm the one who breaks it, taking two steps back and tilting my head to the side to examine his reaction. 

"You just kissed me." He raises a hand to his lips, as though he doesn't quite believe they are his own. "Ken? Are you coming down with something?" Confusion, concern. Interesting. I scribble it all down on my clipboard, not taking my eyes off of Tai. "Because really, you kissed*me*. ME." 

A leaning towards repetition to try and make a point, makes sense. That said, I'm not sure exactly what point Tai is trying to make, as, being the one to initiate the kiss, I do have a vague idea of what just happened. 

"Ken, Ken. KEN." Each repetition of my name is punctuated with a shake of his head, and I make a note to make sure I study the body language of future subjects carefully. He's trying to clear his thoughts, my actions apparently having confused him. 

Well, more than usual, anyway. 

"Oh, God." Something dawns in his eyes, although I'm not sure if it's realisation or if he has somehow managed to see his reflection in a mirror, after all. "Listen Ken, I'm flattered, really. And to sucker me in with the pretence that this was all for an experiment is really … um … clever, and all … and you certainly are a very nice guy." Ah, realisation it is, then. A quick glance at my watch shows that it took him 45 seconds to get past confusion to the point of being able to put two and two together. He still appears to have got five as an answer, but for Tai, that's close enough. "And if it wasn't for the fact I have feelings for someone else, I'd think you were the perfect catch, and wouldn't hesitate to date you, really!" Concern over my feelings, attempting to un-break my heart and re-establish a bond. "But I just think we make better soccer buddies than – Ken? What the hell are you doing?!" 

Tai stops mid ramble, and stares strangely at my clipboard. I guess he hadn't realised I'd been making notes throughout his entire speech. 

"I'm observing you." It seems like a reasonable enough answer, but it causes Tai to blink a couple of times before grabbing the clipboard out of my hands. 

"Appears nervous, yet unsuspecting?!" Tai reads off the carefully plotted sheet, his eyes widening. "Agreeable to experiment, even though slightly confused?!" Tai looks as though he is about to have a heart attack as he reads on. "Soft lips, nice feeling. Maybe I should deepen it a bit … no. Maybe next time." Ok, I think he just had that heart attack. "You were making notes WHILE you were kissing me?!" 

Of course I was. What did he possibly think the 'during' section was for? I blink at him, confused. I can't understand why he seems so … angry, so suddenly put out. He did agree to be part of my experiment, after all. 

"What the hell is going on here, Ken?" Tai demands, as he flips through the pages on my clipboard. He stops, stunned, on the page entitled 'Predictions', and I worryingly bite my bottom lip. I hadn't predicted a good response, in fact, that particular section is littered with words such as 'black eye', 'hated', 'disgust' and 'you idiot, Ken! I'm in love with Kari!' 

"I'm in love with Kari? Huh? You think I'm romantically interested in my own sister?!" He's looking more puzzled now than anything. "That doesn't make sense, Ken. Not that any of this makes sense, in the first place." I try to grab the clipboard back before he sees enough to come to a more informed conclusion, he's already seen enough to make his own results unusable, and I'm feeling embarrassed enough as it is. But Tai swipes it out of the way in time, his glare rivalling that of a gorgon. I certainly *feel* as though I've been turned to stone. 

Or maybe that is just wishful thinking. 

"Method, Evaluation, Equipment …" Tai reads the headings incredulously aloud as he flickers through the pages. "Goal…" He stops there, on the very last page, and I feel myself wanting to collapse in on myself, or at the very least get eaten by some random Digimon. Tai falls silent, dark eyes lightening slightly as he reads over the lengthy document. "Ken …" 

I can't bear to look at him, so simply nod quietly when he speaks my name. 

"You are such a geek." 

I don't remember writing THAT as a possible reaction anywhere in my predictions. But there is humour in his voice, and I allow desolate eyes to glance up through drenched strands of lavender. He's shaking his head again, although this time there is laughter in his eyes and compassion in his smile. 

"You planned all this-" he waves his hand at the clipboard, "- and kissed *me*, to try and gauge how Daisuke would react if you did the same to him?" Please don't laugh at me, Tai. I get it that you think I'm an idiot; I'm starting to come to the same conclusion myself. "This has got to be the most romantic thing I've ever seen in my life!" 

"It … it is?" 

"I mean, most people say it with flowers or chocolates or whatever, but you? This is just full of originality and flair. Nerdy flair, but flair, never the less." He's starting to actually get rather excited about this. "Although I'm not quite sure why you used me as your substitute Dai." 

I thought that was something that would be obvious to him, but perhaps Tai hasn't noticed the parallels between himself and Daisuke as well as the rest of us have. "I, I needed someone who I felt would have similar reactions to Daisuke, and you appeared to be the most obvious choice." He smiles at this, before a frown forms on his face. 

"You thought Daisuke would –" he skips forward several pages to 'predictions' again. "- never speak to you again? Break off your friendship? Accuse you of being perverted?" Tai's voice is softer now, and suddenly he's the one examining me. 

"They are simply several possible outcomes," I reply stiffly, although I'm sure Tai can see how simply hearing those words spoken aloud associated with Daisuke is enough to make me fearful. "I … I have to weigh up the positives and negatives before any course of action is decided on, if any is at all." 

"Some of these negatives seem a bit harsh. I don't think Daisuke would ever do anything to ever hurt you, Ken." 

"But as our experiment showed, the first 45 seconds at least are dedicated to spontaneous thoughts. You reacted fairly well, but at the same time, we're neither best friends nor dependant on each other when it comes to our Digimon evolving. If it had been Matt instead who had thrown himself at you, would you have reacted in the same way?" 

"Believe me, you don't want to know." Tai says it after a brief moment of silence, as though he was trying to decide exactly how to answer that particular question. I'm not sure what to make of his answer, the way he says it seems almost like … wow. 

"He did, didn't he?" 

"Listen Ken, if you want to reveal your feelings to Daisuke, you're going to need more practise being assertive." He sidesteps the question completely, and his statement has the desired effect of diverting my thoughts. 

"I'm not sure how many people I can go up to and kiss, Tai." It's an admittance made with a deep blush in place. "It was hard enough planning all this." Tai does laugh then, dispersing the uncomfortable bleakness that had settled moments before. 

"You're not going to need to kiss anyone else, Ken – I promise. However we need to work out a plan of attack that doesn't involve you stopping every few minutes through a romantic moment to write down your observations." 

He does have a point. The clipboard is rather bulky, after all. 

"And when it comes to being assertive, what better a person to teach you all about it than me?" He winks cheerfully, and a small smile forces its way onto my lips. Part of me still refuses to believe that Tai is actually offering to help, that there must be some hidden strings involved somewhere. 

"You'll really help me?" Me, of all people. 

"Of course, Ken-Ken! We **are** friends, and I think you and Daisuke would make such a cute couple." I'm not going to smile goofily; I'm not going to smile goofily… "But, dude? Don't smile like that. You look like a dork." 

I think I'll have to write this experiment up as a success, even if the results were not ones that were expected. 

_End chapter two._

In the next chapter, both Tai and Matt attempt to 'help' their two friends. Ken and Daisuke finally start to doubt their sanity. 


End file.
